Independent Contractor

5 of the best sites about independent contractors or being an independent contractor. Know of another site that should be listed here? Leave your suggestion at the bottom of this page. (Related searches: Contractor Marketing, Small Business Advice, Commercial Energy Audit)

1. Independent Contractor (Self Employed) or Employee? - This page from the Internal Revenue Service help both employers and those who wok for them to understand the difference between an independent contractor and an employee for tax purposes. It offers information on the key issues to look at when classifying a worker, such as how much control the employer has over the work, how the work is paid for, and other info. It also offers advice on what to do if you are a worker who feels you should not be classified as an independent contractor. (www.irs.gov)

2. Working As an Independent Contractor FAQ - This page is set up to answer frequently asked questions from those who are considering working as independent contractors (or who maybe have been forced to by former employers), such as “What is an independent contractor?”, “Do I have to pay taxes on my freelance income?”, and “Who decides whether I’m an employee or independent contractor?” (www.nolo.com)

3. Forms and Associated Taxes for Independent Contractors - This page from the IRS tells you the forms you should use when reporting money paid to independent contractors, including the W-9 to get the person’s/company’s Social Security or Taxpayer ID Number (TIN) and the 1099-MISC form for independent contractors that earned over a certain amount from you. (At last check the amount to require a 1099 was $600, but see the forms linked to at this page to know for sure.) (www.irs.gov)

4. Obama Targets Employers that Misclassify Workers as Independent Contractors - February 2010 blog post about a clause in President Barack Obama’s proposed 2011 budget that would include $25 million to hire enforcement personnel whose jobs would be to find companies who are paying workers as independent contractors when in fact they should be paid as employees. (hr.blr.com)

5. Independent Contractor Compliance Blog - Perhaps not the most exciting focus for a blog, but if this issue matters to you, you might want to keep up with this independent contractor vs. employee blog run by compliance consulting firm Collabrus. (www.collabrus.com)